Rescue teams departed for Gangotri to assist the group of trekkers and support staff stranded on the Kedartal trek due to inclement weather. Representative image: Wikimedia commons
Seven trekkers, guide missing in Uttarakhand’s Kedartal amid heavy snowfall
Two SDRF personnel conducted aerial reconnaissance over Kedartal, but found no clear signs of the missing trekkers or their tents
Dehradun, Nov 1 (PTI) The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) initiated a search and rescue operation on Sunday for seven trekkers and one guide who went missing after becoming stranded on the Kedartal trek in Uttarkashi district.
On October 27, a group of 13 people, consisting of seven trekkers and six support staff, set out from Gangotri for the Kedartal trek. They were scheduled to return on October 29, but adverse weather conditions, including glaciers and snowfall, blocked their route and prevented their timely return.
A team from Gangotri had already reached the Kedartal area for an initial assessment. However, heavy snowfall and adverse conditions hindered their progress. As a result, the SDRF has decided to conduct aerial reconnaissance and search the region using a helicopter.
Officials said that under the directives of SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi, a specialised mountaineering team has been deployed to locate the missing individuals.
Two SDRF personnel, Head Constable Ravi Chauhan and Constable Deepak Pant, reached Harsil by helicopter on Sunday, from where they conducted two thorough aerial reconnaissance flights over the Kedartal area. No clear signs of the missing trekkers or their tents were spotted during these flights, officials said.
Additionally, following Commandant Yaduvanshi's instructions, another team from the SDRF battalion headquarters has been sent out, equipped with essential rescue and mountaineering gear, to ensure that the search and rescue operation can continue as soon as conditions improve.
Officials said that a future action plan is being developed in coordination with the relevant agencies as part of the ongoing search operation.
Rescue teams departed for Gangotri on Saturday to assist the group of trekkers and support staff stranded on the Kedartal trek due to inclement weather. According to officials, one of the stranded trekkers has also sustained a head injury. PTI